In 1 Timothy, we read the words Paul writes, “Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs” (1 Timothy 6: 9-10).
We need to be clear here, money is not evil by nature. We also need to use spiritual wisdom, money in the hands of sinful people—even the righteous—can be dangerous, deadly, or even damning.
In the scriptures we read where Jesus himself says, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” (Mark 10: 23, NIV).
Yet so many, due to the abundance of prosperity messages out their seem to file away what Jesus is attempting to say here. In fact our fleshly nature will run from Church to Church, teacher to teacher in search of the one who will boldly proclaim that Jesus didn’t really mean it the way that it sounds. And sadly a large majority of Christians in the western Church just don’t believe Jesus on this one. Most people in our culture—and in the church—believe wealth is always a sign of blessing from God, and we have almost no category for understanding wealth with a wrong heart is a barrier to God. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard pastors make this claim in defense of their lavish life styles and could fill a moderate town with their followers who will run to their defense. With the wealth of freedom we have in this nation to possess Bibles and the right to study them it shocks me how so many are so easily deceived.
Just as 1 Timothy says, money can be a powerful snare. If we look across the Christian landscape in America alone we can see how this snare has entrapped Gods people leaving them enslaved to the lenders to such a degree that they can’t find peace, are unable to help others in need, can not support missions and missionaries and some are so filled with the fear of financial loss they can’t even tithe. We also see how such a lfestyle robs their children of the joy of spending time with mom and dad as they are pre-occupied with working more hours with the hope of just paying the bills on time. Even more saddness is added to this within the fact that many are raising their children with a false understanding of faith and or causing a spiritual dysfunction in the family as their desire for more money is like an idol demanding all the worship.
The modern day prosperity message has allowed the seduction of money to imprison Gods people by the masses.. We think, I want more, but we don’t realize that the desire for more is a trap. With the hunger for “more” the creation of an appetite that will never satisfy is birthed and it grows into a baby all in on itself with a 24 hr feeding schedule as it can not get enough. Blindly as we indulge in this desire, we are shut off from seeing how it destroys our spiritual lives bit by bit. Sadly for many it may destroys them forever. Now just in case you missed the Word of God earlier, hear it again: the desire for riches “plunge[ s] people into ruin and destruction.”
Praise God, for He has not left us in the dark for we find in His Word a remedy to the allure of money. Right before these warnings in 1 Timothy, God speaks to us in His Word that, “Godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content ” (6: 6-8). So again Praise God for these words, as our loving Father prescribes the antidote: a simple life of contentment that prioritizes necessities and minimizes luxuries. Paul says the same thing in 2 Corinthians 8– 9, where we learn that God provides enough for us (2 Cor 9:8) and excess for others (2 Cor 9:11).
Make no mistake brothers and sisters, the gospel compels us to humbly identify what is enough for us in order to freely give away our excess to others. By voluntarily surrendering our riches for others’ good, we avoid the snare and enjoy the contentment that these describes.
The question is are we willing to allow Holy Spirit to train us up in these Words. Are we willing to humbly look to Him to bring our minds in to conformity of what the scriptures call us to do – live a simple life.
Radical Disciples - A Remnant Revolution 